I-LEAGUE 2008/09 - Churchill Brothers SC champions

Churchill Brothers SC started their I-League 2008/09 campaign in style as they avenged their Durand Cup final defeat at the hands of Mahindra United three weeks earlier by beating the Jeepmen 2-1 at home.


Foreign recruit and the previous edition's top scorer Odafe Onyeka Okolie was back to what he does best as his brace enabled the Goan outfit to start their I-League campaign with a morale-boosting win.

As their round 2 match against Dempo SC was rescheduled for the first week of November, Churchill travelled to Calcutta next to face newly promoted underdogs Chirag United SC. Be it due to complacency or sheer bad performance on that particular day, Churchill could only manage a goalless draw at the Barasat Stadium after a Man-of-the-Match performance from Snehasish Chakraborty and most of his teammates as well. The Calcutta minnows seemed intent to prove that they were not in the top division merely to make up the numbers.

With only a week's time to take stock of themselves, Churchill encountered state rivals Sporting Clube de Goa in the next round of matches and it was once again the genius of Odafe Onyeka Okolie which made their task a mere formality. Another brace from the talismanic striker and a goal from Thokchom Naoba Singh to add the icing to the cake enabled Churchill to pound their rivals to a humiliating 3-0 defeat!

Next up for Churchill Brothers were another local rival, Vasco SC, who had been promoted to the top division and were already having a nightmare of a season. With four goals from three matches already, Odafe was keen to sharpen his pugilistic skills on the "punching bag" of the league as he hammered three goals for his first hat-trick of the I-League. Yes, one more was still to come but more of that later. Odafe's strike partner Felix Chimaokwu also opened his account against a hapless Vasco side who only managed a consolation goal through Agnelo Colaco late in the game.

In their third successive game in Goa (albeit one of them was officially away to Vasco), Churchill played host to JCT, Phagwara. JCT were looking to increase their tally after dropping points against Vasco and Chirag United and they put up a spirited performance to draw the game 1-1. Amandeep Singh equalised for the Millmen after Odafe had put Churchill ahead with his eighth goal of the I-League.

Just three days after dropping points against JCT, Churchill had to play their rescheduled round 2 match against another local rival, Dempo SC. Churchill took Dempo by storm and a brace from Felix Chimaokwu and another goal from goalscoring machine, Odafe Onyeka Okolie, saw Churchill lead Dempo 3-0 just past the half hour mark. What followed is the stuff football dreams are made of as Man-of-the-Match Mboyo Iyomi scored thrice for Dempo to split the points between the Goan teams.

Churchill then travelled to Calcutta to face Mohun Bagan AC, a club known for setting high standards but struggling at that moment with only one win from six matches. Pachau Lalam Puia scored the winner for Mohun Bagan in the 14th minute little knowing that it would come down to the wire on the final matchday to decide who would be the champions between those two teams.

Churchill played host to newly promoted Mumbai FC next and the Mumbai outfit was putting on quite an impressive show in their maiden I-League campaign. However, Churchill were guilty of squandering yet another lead as Abhishek Yadav and Kalia Kulothungan scored for Mumbai FC to draw level at 2-2. Churchill were getting into the habit of dropping crucial points and a big win was much needed to stem their downward spiral.

Three days later Churchill played host to another team from the financial capital of India and this time it was Air India who managed to take a vital point after Michael Segum Tayo scored for them in the third minute of added time to cancel out Felix Chimaokwu's goal in the first half.

Churchill probably needed a break from Goa as they travelled to face newly promoted but much reputed Mohammedan Sporting Club at the Saltlake Stadium in Calcutta, the site of their defeat at the hands of Mohun Bagan. Churchill left it late but eventually their most valuable player, Odafe Onyeka Okolie, once again popped up with the decider in the 70th minute to give Churchill three vital points and a much needed boost of confidence.

A rejuvenated Churchill carried the desire to win into their next match against Calcutta giants East Bengal Club and in an entertaining encounter which saw two own goals being scored, one from each team, a Man-of-the-Match performance by Ogba Kalu Nnanna saw Churchill edge the contest 2-1.

The first leg of the I-League 2008/09 thus ended with Churchill Brothers in third position with 20 points, only one point behind Mohun Bagan in second position. Their only defeat had come against Mohun Bagan but their season had been marred by five draws in eleven matches. Their talismanic striker Odafa Onyeka Okolie was leading the scorers' chart with eleven goals but the team needed to supplement his efforts by converting the useless draws into vital wins.

The second leg of the ONGC I-League resumed after a disappointing performance in the Federation Cup by Churchill Brothers. Although they managed to qualify from a tough group, they were knocked out by city rivals Dempo SC in the semifinals.

In their first match of the second leg, they faced Mahindra United at the Cooperage in Mumbai. Mahindra were still seething over their Federation Cup exit where a carnage against HAL by Churchill had ensured that the latter qualified for the semi-finals based on better goal difference. In a feisty encounter that saw the referee flash yellow six times, Odafe Onyeka Okolie resumed his casual duty of scoring goals as the Goan team rubbed salt into Mahindra wounds defeating them by three goals to one.

It was a sense of déjà-vu for Churchill as they faced Federation Cup semi-final opponents Dempo SC in the next round. Unfortunately, a sweet revenge was not on the cards as Felix Chimaowku just managed a late equaliser to salvage one point for Churchill.

Churchill were to face Calcutta minnows Chirag United at home in their next match. With Mohun Bagan beating Sporting Clube de Goa by a solitary Baichung Bhutia goal the previous day, the onus was on Churchill to extract maximum advantage from the opportunity. History was not on their side as memories of a dull goalless draw in the corresponding return fixture in the first leg surfaced again. However, it was a completely different Churchill from the one in Calcutta in October and Man-of-the-Match Felix Chimaowku scored a brace as Churchill trounced Chirag 3-0.

A crucial clash was on the cards as Churchill faced Sporting Clube de Goa "away" for their round 15 match. Sporting were smarting from their loss against Mohun Bagan and the result had cost coach Vishwas Gaonkar his job; former coach Clifford Chukwama was the new man in charge. In a tightly contested affair, Sporting defeated Churchill by a solitary goal from Chinta Chandrashekar Rao in the 7th minute of the match. In another crucial match, Mohun Bagan beat Mohammedan Sporting to enhance their claim for the title.

Churchill had ground to make up as their title aspirations were fast receding into oblivion and the full brunt of their intent was felt by a hapless Vasco SC in what was probably the mismatch of the season. Odafe Onyeka Okolie toyed with the Vasco defence and scored an unbelievable six goals as Churchill hammered Vasco 9-1. A record ten goals were scored in the match as one end of the pitch resembled Hogan's alley for ninety minutes. It was Odafe's second hat-trick in the 2008/09 edition of the I-League and after that marvellous performance, the winner of the top scorer contest became a foregone conclusion.

Having split points earlier in the season, Churchill travelled to Punjab to face JCT in the next encounter. Odafe Onyeka Okolie and Ogba Kalu Nnanna were on the scoresheet as Churchill beat JCT 2-1 to put pressure on Mohun Bagan who had lost the "Big Derby" 3-0 a few days back.

A potential title decider was on the cards as Churchill faced Mohun Bagan for their round 18 match in Goa. Both teams were tied on points but Mohun Bagan had a game in hand going into the crucial tie and the absence of Mohun Bagan skipper Baichung Bhutia through suspension proved to be a crucial factor. Churchill dominated the early part of the game but an individual piece of brilliance from Jose Ramirez Barreto gave Mohun Bagan the lead in the 28th minute. Odafe Onyeka Okolie scored his 21st goal of the I-League 2008/09 in first half added time and Man-of-the-Match Ogba Kalu Nnanna scored a 2nd half brace to propel Churchill to the top of the table as the match finished 3-1 in favour of the Goan outfit.

Churchill travelled to the Cooperage to face surprise package Mumbai FC in the next round. In an exciting encounter, Robert Lalthalma scored thrice, including one at the wrong end of the pitch, as Churchill edged past a courageous Mumbai FC 3-2 thanks to an 85th minute goal from Odafe Onyeka Okolie.

Churchill dominated a struggling East Bengal in their next match in Goa as goals on either side of the lemon break from Man-of-the-Match Odafe Onyeka Okolie ensured three points and precious boasting rights for Goa. With Mohun Bagan involved in the AFC Cup, Churchill were desperate to build up an unassailable lead in the I-League.

Churchill had a close shave with ignominy as they drew their next game against Air India in Mumbai. With their I-League destiny firmly in their hands, Churchill inexplicably failed to get the better of Air India as the latter's struggle for survival received a much needed boost with a much-needed point. Fortunately for Churchill Brothers, Mohun Bagan failed to capitalise on their slip-up as they drew 1-1 with JCT thanks to an own goal from Rahul Kumar in the 80th minute.

Thus, it all boiled down to the final day of the ONGC I-League 2008/09 with Churchill Brothers and Mohun Bagan tied on points at the top, albeit Churchill leading the table on a much better goal difference. A win for Churchill would virtually ensure the title as Mohun Bagan would have to achieve the impossible task of hammering Mahindra United by close to twenty goals in their final match in Delhi.

Churchill started their final match against relegation threatened Mohammedan Sporting knowing that destiny was in their own hands. Amidst reports that coach Zoran Djordjevic had relaxed pre-match training and already planned the celebrations in advance, the Churchill fans were only praying that the old adage "It ain't over till the fat lady sings" would not come back to haunt them. There was no twist in the tale as Churchill thrashed Mohammedan Sporting 6-2 including a brace from skipper Odafe Onyeka Okolie. The result gave Churchill Brothers their maiden I-League title and sent Mohammedan Sporting back into the doldrums of second division football.